Roadway subgrader



Feb. 27, 1934.

C. FANFARILLO ROADWAY SUBGRADER Filed Aug. 12, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q i Fbb.27,1934. FANFARLO L949J51 ROADWAY SUBGRADER Filed Aug. 12, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 man Feb. 27, 1934. Q FANFARILLO 1,949,151

ROADWAY SUBGRADER Filed Aug. 12, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 CIT! Patented Feb. 27, 1934 ROADWAY SUBGRADEE Cesare Fanfarillo, Glassboro, N. J.

Application August 12, 1932, Serial No. 628,462

3 Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a roadway sub-grader, and has for one of its objects to provide a device of this character embodying unique structural details and 1 adapted to run upon the sides of the mold which act as track rails for the machine. T e subrader is used particularly for leveling the bottom of the mold or the ground between the mold sides wherein a concrete or other road is to be laid or cast and said device is adapted to be drawn forwardly by means, preferably independent of the machine, such as a tractor.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for adjusting the blade to any desirable level by the elevation or depression of the forward part of the machine frame, and the mechanism for accomplishing the adjustments being also utilized for quickly elevating the blade when the machine is to be moved in a reverse or backward direction, and also resetting said blade when next operated in a forward direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for holding the parts in any temporary adjustment.

Another object of the invention is to provide for limiting the downward movement of the operating handle, said means being adjustable whereby the blade may be maintained or quickly reset to an accurate desired level.

Another object of the invention is to provide a blade of unique construction which may be inverted so as to use both of the longer sides as cutting edges.

A further object of the invention is to provide spring actuated means associated with an adjustable stop for limiting the movement thereof in one direction, said spring actuated means being utilized for scraping the treads of the track rails or mold sides.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a sub-grader or leveler which is simple in construction, comparatively lig t in weight for the class of work it performs although strong and durable, and one which requires very few persons to operate the same.

With these and other ends in View, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a top plan view ofa roadway subgrader constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear end view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the machine showing it mounted upon the sides of the mold which act as track rails with the near side rail broken away.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of Fig. 3, with a portion of the stringer and platform broken out.

Fig. 5 is an edge view of the bracket for holding the operating lever in difierent adjusted positions.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation or face view thereof.

Fig. '7 is an edge View looking down on Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary top view of the connection between one pair of side rails and the stringer.

Fig. 9 is an end View thereof. 75

Fig. 1G is a fragmentary side elevation in the region of one end of the stringer showing the blade thereon.

Fig. 11 is a view partly in section of one of the side carriages showing the arrangement of the rail scraper or cleaner.

In carrying out my invention as herein embodied, 15 and 16 represent the sides of the mold which act as track rails for the machine and said mold sides are first set to the desired level and spaced apart to receive the front and rear wheels 17 and 18 of the machine.

There are two rear wheels and two front wheels and each rear wheel is journalled on an axle 19 mounted between the side pieces 20 and 21 of a carriage 22. Said side pieces comprise channel irons with the open portions oppositely disposed and at the sides of the carriage so that the axle 19 is mounted in the Webs rather than the flanges of said channel irons. 95

The carriage side pieces or channel irons are suitably spaced apart and held in their proper relative positions by any suitable number of cross pieces 23 riveted or otherwise secured to saidside pieces. 7

The front wheel 17 of each carriage is journailed on an axle 24 mounted in a stirrup 25 which is pivoted as at 26 between the side rails of its respective carriage, and said stirrup is connected with an operating mechanism to be presently described.

Two carriages are used in the formation of the machine and are connected with the ends of a stringer or I-bearn 27 by means of stringer plates 28 riveted or otherwise secured to the top flange of said stringer, and the top flanges of the channel irons or side pieces of both carriages and also by angle hangers 29 secured to the rear face of the stringer and to the inner side piece or member of each carriage.

A platform 30 is preferably composed of boards, although metal plates or other desirable sections of suitable material may be used in place of the boards. This platform is secured to the carriages, and if desirable, to the stringer, and said platform preferably projects beneath the uppermost flanges of the inner side pieces of the carriages and may project under the rearwardly extending top flange of the stringer or it may be fashioned so that the top surface of the platform will lie flush with the top of the stringer.

The vehicle thus produced has suitable bearings 31 thereon in which is journalled a shaft 32 running transversely of said vehicle and to each end of said shaft is fixed a crank lever 33, the outer end of which is adj ustably connected with one end of a link 34 by means of a pin 35 insertable through any one of a number of holes 36 in the link, and the other end of said link is pivoted as at 37 to the upper end of the stirrup 25.

Fixed to the shaft 32 intermediate its ends is an operating lever 38 which cooperates with a lever holding bracket 39 or more particularly a pin 40 inserted in any one of a number of holes 41 in said bracket, and while I have shown in Fig. 3, that the pin 40 is inserted in back of the operating lever 38 when considered with relation to the front of the machine, in order to prevent movement of the operating lever in the direction which it will ordinarily move due to the weight of the machine, it will be obvious that said operating lever could be provided with an aperture through which the pin would project when inserted in one of the holes 41.

The bracket 39 as shown in Figs. 5, S and 7 is preferably fashioned from a strip of material bent upon itself midway its length to produce a base 42 and parallel side rails 43, and then has the ends bent out in opposite directions to produce feet 44. This bracket may be fastened to the vehicle by rivets or other suitable fastening means passing through the feet and base.

During such time as the machine is in use for scraping the roadway to its final level, the operating lever is allowed to assume its lowermost position in engagement with an adjustable stop 45, preferably in the form of a bolt having threaded connection with the platform or some other suitable part of the vehicle, so long as said adjustable stop is in the path of downward travel of the operating lever.

On the front of the stringer at the bottom thereof is detachably mounted the'concavo-con vex blade or scraper 46 by means of suitable fastening devices, such as bolts 4'? and nuts 48 and the heads of said bolts are preferably countersunk in the blade. Below the points of attachment of the blade to the stringer, said blade rests against the forwardly projecting lower flange of the stringer in order to maintain said blade in its proper position or at the desired pitch. Both edges of the blade may be used for scraping or cutting purposes, and the edge which is not in use will lie snugly against the front face of the stringer web so that the front face of the blade practically blends into the front face of the stringer to prevent the formation of a perceptible ridge or shoulderwhich would tend to hold dirt or stones piled up in front of the blade and stringer during the operation of the machine.

neaalsi While the machine may be propelled or moved along the mold sides or track rails in any desirable manner, it is generally drawn forwardly by an automotive vehicle, such as a tractor, and in order to connect the draft means at suitable points I have shown eye bolts 49 secured in the stringer 27 During operation of the device, the mold sides or tracks are first cleaned off so that the front wheels will not encounter any obstructions, but as the blade 46 scrapes or cuts the ground, there is a chance of stones, pebbles and dirt being de-- fiected by the scraper blade and stringer on to the top of the mold sides or dirt piled up by the cutting operations may run over on to the mold sides. Since the blade is in front of the rear wheels, any debris reaching the top of the mold sides will be in the paths of travel of the rear wheels and if said rear wheels pass thereover the elevation of the blade would be changed so that the proper level of the road bed would not be maintained.

To overcome this condition, I provide rail scrapers 50, one of which is pivoted intermediate its ends between the side pieces of each carriage just forward of its respective rear wheel, and the track engaging end is held in contact with a track by means of a spring 51 connected to the other end of the scraper and anchored to some suitable part of the machine, as to one of the cross pieces 23, and in order to prevent said scraper from dragging too hard upon its track, I provide a set screw 52 having threaded engagement with a suitable part of the machine, as another of the cross pieces 23, which coacts with the scraper in oppositon to its spring.

During grading operations, the machine is moved forwardly along the mold sides or track rails with the blade set at a level to accomplish the work in hand and at the time of the first cut the blade may be held at its highest elevation by inserting the pin 40 in one of the holds 41 in the bracket 39 which will hold said blade at the desired elevation. After the machine has been moved forwardly a distance sufiicient to acciunulate a desired pile of dirt, the operating lever 38 can be moved forwardly and upwardly a sufficient distance to life the blade over the pile and as soon as the operating lever is returned to the position where it engages the pin 40, the cutting operations will be continued.

By the time a pile of dirt has accumulated in front of the blade, instead of continuing the forward movement of the machine it may be returned to the point from which it started, and during this time the blade is elevated and the pin 40 inserted in another of the holes 41 to prevent the accidental depression of the blade. When the machine has been returned to its starting point and is to again be moved forwardly, the operating lever is depressed until the blade is lowered to a new elevation. and the machine again moved forwardly.

These operations continue until such time as the operating lever 38 finally engages the adjustable stop 54, and thereafter the blade cannot be further lowered so that the final cut is the level desired or the road bed, and since the adjustable stop can be regulated in very small degrees, an exceedingly accurate surface level can be obtained.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction as herein shown, as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is:-

1. In a roadway sub-grader, a pair of rear wheels, a pair of front wheels, stirrups in which said front wheels are journalled, a frame mounted on the axles of the rear wheels and pivotally connected with the stirrups intermediate the ends of the latter, mechanism including an operating handle connected with the stirrups for simultaneously actuating said stirrups to change the elevation of one end of the frame, an adjustable stop in the path of travel of the operating lever to limit the downward movement of said operating lever to various positions, other means co-operating with the operating lever to hold the same in other adjusted positions, and a blade depending from the frame between the front and rear wheels.

2. A roa way sub-grader for operation upon road mold sides, consisting of a pair of carriages, each comprising a pair of spaced side pieces, cross pieces fixed to the side pieces, a rear wheel journalled between the side pieces the rear end of the carriage, a stirrup pivoted interme diate its ends between the side pieces at the front end of the carriage, a front wheel journalled in said stirrup and a stringer plate secured crosswise of the side pieces on the top thereof, a stringer composed of an I-beam extending between the carriages and having the ends secured to the stringer plates, means to brace said stringer, means secured to said stringer by which a draft device may be connected to the machine, a double edged concave-convex blade having a portion lying against the front face of the stringer and engaging the contiguous flange of said stringer, means to detachably fasten said blade to the stringer, a platform mounted between the carriages to the rear of the stringer, a shaft running crosswise of the machine above the stringer, cranks at the ends of said shaft, links pivotally connected with said cranks and the stirrups, an operating lever fixed to the shaft for rotating the latter whereby the stirrups may be moved simultaneous'iy to change the elevation of the forward end of the machine and thereby regulate the elevation of the blade, an adjustable stop in the path of downward travel in the operating lever to limit the downward movement of said operating lever at various desired positions, a lever holding bracket secured to the platform and stringer and located on 0pposite sides of the operating lever, said bracket having a series of the holes therethrough and means for projection into a selected hole to hold the operating lever in any adjusted position.

3. In a roadway sub-grader, a frame, a pair of rear wheels having one end of the frame mounted on the axles thereof and rotatable thereabcut, a pair of front wheels, a pair of stirrups mounted on the axles of said front wheels and pivoted at points outside the perimeter of said front wheels to the forward end of the frame whereby swinging movements of the stirrups will raise or lower the forward end of said frame, mechanism connected to the stirrups whereby the latter will be simultaneously actuated, means to hold said mechanism in different adjusted positions, and a blade carried by the frame adapted to have its elevation changed due to vertical movement of the front end of the frame.

CESARE FANFARILLO. 

